ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 23, 2007
ELCA Consultation Examines Future of Word and Service Leadership
07-039-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The future of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America's professional public ministers of Word and
service -- associates in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal
ministers -- was the focus of an ELCA consultation in February in
Delray Beach, Fla. The central question some 64 participants
discussed was how the theology and experience of vocation and
service should shape the 21st century roles of these ELCA
leaders.
Word and service ministries are based on the concept of
"diakonia," or unconditional service to the neighbor in need.
Equal numbers of associates in ministry, deaconesses and
diaconal ministers were joined by two ELCA synod bishops and
several ELCA churchwide staff members in the consultation, said
the Rev. Stanley N. Olson, executive director, ELCA Vocation and
Education. The event was sponsored by the Vocation and Education
program unit and was made possible by a grant from the ELCA
Deaconess Community.
In addition to the three official rosters of Word and
service ministers, the ELCA maintains a fourth roster for
ordained clergy. Including active and retired personnel, there
are 1,080 associates in ministry, 62 deaconesses, 105 diaconal
ministers and 17,646 ordained clergy on official rosters of the
ELCA. Numbers of professional Word and service ministers are
generally increasing at rates faster than ordained clergy, Olson
said.
Olson explained that the roster of associates in ministry
was established temporarily with the formation of the ELCA in
1987 to include people from several "lay" rosters in predecessor
churches. The associate in ministry roster was made permanent in
1993 after completion of the ELCA Study of Ministry. The ELCA
Deaconess Community traces its roots through the ELCA and
predecessor churches to the mid-19th century, when deaconesses
came to the United States from Germany. The diaconal ministry
roster was established in the ELCA in 1993. Each roster has
developed in distinctive ways, and the bylaws and policies of the
ELCA provide for specific preparations for these roles, Olson
said.
The 1993 ELCA Churchwide Assembly amended and adopted
recommendations from the Study of Ministry. Among its actions,
the assembly determined that the entrance rite for diaconal
ministers would be "consecration," as it is for deaconesses, and
that the entrance rite for associates in ministry would be
"commissioning." Clergy continue to be "ordained." The assembly
was not unanimous in making these distinctions among entrance
rites, and the rites have been a source of continuing frustration
for some people serving in Word and service, consultation
participants said.
Word and service ministers can have a significant effect on
each of the 4.85 million members of the ELCA, Olson said.
Because these people serve in public ministries, they remind ELCA
members that "every Christian is called to share the Word (of
God) in daily life. Every Christian is called to service. These
are public ministries that some do on behalf of all of us. That
helps (all of) us in our service."
ELCA members have trouble distinguishing among the Word and
service rosters, Olson said. "The work of these leaders is not
well known in the ELCA and too often has been underappreciated.
The existence of the three rosters (of Word and service) has
sometimes led to an overemphasis on differentiation among them.
There is much overlap in the types of service to which members of
these rosters are called," he said.
For example, Olson said, people on all three rosters are
working in areas such as youth ministry, Christian education and
social ministries such as chaplaincies.
Though the consultation participants did not formulate
specific recommendations, they agreed to keep talking together
about the future of these types of service in the church. They
expressed their desire "to speak to the church with one voice"
and recommended that representatives of the four ministry
categories continue their conversation carefully and
deliberately. Ultimately, the participants said, they hope such a
conversation "would attempt to develop a consensus understanding
of and proposal regarding the public ministry of Word and
service." The original consultation planning team was asked to
followup on a number of topics related to the three Word and
service rosters.
Consultation participants did not agree on whether there
should be one Word and service roster versus three. But they did
express a strong preference that the term "lay rosters" no longer
be used in describing the rosters of associates in ministry,
deaconesses and diaconal ministers, Olson explained. This use of
"lay" may diminish the importance of the service of all people
and is also seen by some as inadequate to highlight the public
and professional roles of these ministries, he said. Some
suggested that the collective term "public ministries of Word and
service," be used.
Participants express hope for the future
James E. Valentine, associate in ministry, participated in
the consultation and helped plan it. He said it provided an
opportunity for participants to share their visions for the
future and discuss how they could help move the church forward.
It was important for the diverse participants to be able to
speak with "one voice," he said. Valentine has served Our
Saviour's Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Ill., in youth
ministry and administration for 27 years. He first became a
professional church worker in the former Lutheran Church in
America.
"It (the consultation) was for the sake of the mission of
the church. Our overall purpose is to do ministry better in the
whole church and explore how we can equip the whole church for
ministry," he said.
Sister E. Anne Keffer is directing deaconess of the
Deaconess Community of the ELCA, and was a consultation planner
and participant. Like several other members of the Deaconess
Community, she is a diaconal minister of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada.
The consultation gave participants a chance to discuss
issues that have caused "pain" for many people, as well as the
histories and blessings of each of the ministries, she said in an
interview. The next step is to engage some conversations with the
clergy, Keffer said.
"It may be hard to quantify what happened, but all who
participated were clear the Holy Spirit was moving among us. We
built relationships even out of pain, we received new vision and
new hope that this church and these rosters will partner in
ministry with a new sense of mutuality and value," she said in a
written report on the meeting.
Tammy L. Devine, diaconal minister, Minneapolis, said many
of the consultation participants were not familiar with each of
the public service rosters and their histories, she said.
Devine, a registered nurse, is wellness coordinator for the ELCA
Board of Pensions and helped in planning the consultation.
"Strong leadership" for the church in the future is what's
important, she said. "The greatest thing was being able to see
the Holy Spirit work to bring these diverse voices together," she
said of the consultation. "Our greatest consensus was that we
were able to move beyond our pain to have 64 voices agreeing to
move forward together," she said.
"It is important for us to respect the gifts of God's people
so the full body of Christ may be shared with the world. There's
an important role for the diaconate in our church," she said.
For the membership of the ELCA, stronger ministries in Word
and service have two immediate implications, said the Rev.
Richard J. Bruesehoff, director for lifelong learning, ELCA
Vocation and Education, who helped plan the consultation.
First, some congregations are adding to their professional
staffs, and they're exploring what kind of specializations they
need in leadership, he said. Second, there is a growing emphasis
in the church on "Christian vocation." Professionals in Word and
service can fill needs for specialization, and they can help
equip members who carry out their vocations in the world,
Bruesehoff said. Each form of Word and service ministry has also
shown it has been flexible and adaptable, he added.
"I think we're at a point in our history now where we're
climbing toward greater strength. To be faithful in the 21st
century, we must be much more responsive to the cries of the
world. These (Word and service professionals) are folks who know
how to lead us in ministry to respond to these cries," Bruesehoff
said.
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Information about the ELCA's three Word and Service
ministries and ELCA Vocation and Education is at
http://www.ELCA.org/vocationeducation/ on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
